


Nightmares at sea

by softlightbulb



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Bottom Oh Sehun, Historical Inaccuracy, Historical References, Kidnapping, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pirates, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sailing, Seasickness, Slavery, Top Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Top Lu Han, Top Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:31:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softlightbulb/pseuds/softlightbulb
Summary: Sehun is the only son of Oh Kwanghoon, an owner of a trading company. To secure a deal with the Japanese officials he sends his son and his best friend to Japan.Although, they all knew this would be a difficult trip for Sehun, who suffers from seasickness, they would have never expected to get attacked by a Wokou ship.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun, Lu Han/Oh Sehun, Oh Sehun & Wu Yi Fan | Kris
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. The nightmare begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone ^^  
> This is my first longer fanfic which will contain multiple chapters. Because I am stuck at home due to the lockdown, I expect to be relatively quick with uploading the next chapters.  
> I hope you enjoy the story! Leave me questions and suggestions in the comments and we will see how they might affect the story.

“Why do I have to go? Can’t you send someone else?”

Sehun stared at his father, a deep frown on his face. “You know how much I hate being on the water. I can’t even go on a fisher boat without getting sick.”

“I know, Sehun. But you must understand what is at stake. We need permission for trading with the Japanese, or everything we have prepared in the last year will have been for nothing. I am sorry, but I didn’t know they would ask for a private meeting before granting us permission to use their harbours. I would go myself, but I have important meetings with our business partners in the next days and I can’t risk insulting them. You are my heir and will lead our company one day, no one can represent us better than you can.”

Oh Kwanghoon glanced at his son with a gentle smile, knowing he wouldn’t deny him this wish. “Fine… I will go,” Sehun finally sighed, once again having lost against his father’s logic.

“Thank you, Sehun.” The older man laid his hand on his son’s shoulder, a satisfies hum leaving his lips before he went to the door and opened it to let someone in. “Junmyeon will go with you. You will leave tomorrow morning, the route to Japan takes a full day, so you will arrive in the evening and meet the Japanese officials on the next day. It shouldn’t take you longer than that to negotiate a deal, so I expect you both to be back in three or four days.”

Kwanghoon stepped to his desk and pulled a letter out, handing it to Sehun. “This is what I received from the Japanese, it contains the address and name of the person you need to speak to. Junmyeon will be at your side as adviser… and to take care of you while you’re on the ship.” Sehun’s father spoke the last words with a small knowingly smirk before motioning the two to get up again, leading them to the door and closing it behind them without leaving any time for further questions or protest.

“I…” Sehun opened his mouth to say goodbye, but the door was closed before he even had a chance to say a single word. Hearing a chuckle besides him, he tilted his head to face Junmyeon, who seemed genuinely amused. “You know how he is; did you really think he would take the time to say goodbye? We won’t be gone for more than three days, he wouldn’t waste those precious seconds for sentimental goodbyes, if he could work in the same time.”

The younger frowned but had to admit that Junmyeon was right with the description of his father. The only reason he didn’t go to Japan was probably that he would have to spend two days on a ship without getting any work done. “Don’t make that face, Sehunnie.” Before Sehun had any chance to react, he felt his hyung’s hand on his cheek, patting it gently.

“Yah… don’t do that here!” The boy’s face had turned deep red, taking a step back quickly and turning away. “Aww… is the little boss embarrassed?” Junmyeon grinned and turned to walk down the hill to the center of the town. Sehun had to hurry to keep up with him, shooting glares at the back of the other’s head. “Don’t be like that… come walk by my side. Didn’t you notice, even your father seems to know, and he didn’t have a problem with it.”

Indeed, Sehun did remember Kwanghoon’s expression when he had spoken about Junmyeon taking care of him, but that made it all even more embarrassing. The two young men were best friends for as long as they could think, the five-year gap between them never being a problem. However, on Sehun’s twentieth birthday, too much alcohol led to a drunk kiss and since then it seemed like Junmyeon couldn’t keep his hands from the younger. The boy enjoyed the attention and had even made out with his best friends a couple of times, but never let him go further than that. If they would have to describe their relationship, they would probably say they are best friends, who occasionally make out with each other.

“Even if he doesn’t have a problem with that… I am sure there are many who wouldn’t be as relaxed as him.” Sehun hurried to catch up with the other, now walking by his side but still looking anything but happy. “Don’t be so grumpy, Hunnie;” the other laughed and poked the boy’s side, who jumped away with a yelp. “You can be grumpy tomorrow when you have a reason to be.”

Oh god… the travel. Sehun shuddered when he only thought about having to spend the whole day on water, his stomach already twisting. Before he had any chance to complain about his fate though, he felt Junmyeon’s hand grabbing his own and pulling him into a dark corner. Trapping the younger, but taller boy, between himself and the wall, he smiled up to him and leaned close to press a gentle kiss to his lips. “Don’t worry, hyung will take care of you. See you tomorrow.”

With that he turned around and went home, leaving a speechless Sehun behind. “Idiot,” the boy mumbled but couldn’t hold back a smile, his cheeks slightly blushed while he walked into the direction of his own house.

* * *

The next morning Sehun met his friend at the harbour, carrying nothing than a bundle with his clothes some money and the letter from his father. Knowing they wouldn’t be gone for long, he had decided to take the minimal luggage and Junmyeon seemed to have made the same decision.

“Ah, look at you! That is the grumpy face I love so much,” the older laughed and took Sehun’s hand, leading him to one of Kwanghoon’s ships The boy hadn’t even noticed that he was practically glaring at the poor boat, that had no fault at his seasickness. “Shut up!” Sehun tried to defend himself but it sounded much more like a desperate whine than an annoyed remark.

“Welcome, sir. I will show you your cabin, please follow me.” The captain welcomed them and then led them down the stairs into the inner of the ship. “What do we need cabins for if we will be there by tonight?” Junmyeon asked in Sehun’s stead but the captain explained to him, that he had to offer all passengers that weren’t part of his crew their own cabin, in case of a storm or if they just wanted to rest.

Sehun kept quiet throughout the whole conversation and once the captain left them alone, he already was so pale that the older felt his forehead worriedly. “We haven’t even left the harbour yet…” he commented with a frown, but the boy felt so sick that he couldn’t even reply. “Leave your stuff here, I’ve heard being on deck helps.”

Without waiting for any reply, Junmyeon took the younger’s hand and led him back up the stairs to the rail, where he helped him to sit down on the ground. “And someone like you will own twenty ships and a trading company,” the older mentioned with a chuckle but quickly regretted his joke. Sehun did indeed look like he was miserable, no colour in his cheeks, not even lips. His eyes were glossy and the way he breathed told his friend that he was probably trying to stop himself from throwing up.

“Look at that landlubber.” The remark was followed by some laughs and Junmyeon had to turn around and glare at the men before they continued with their work. “Hyung… I’m feeling…” before Sehun was able to finish his sentence, he jumped up and turned around, his upper body hanging over the railing while his stomach emptied itself. His friend had to grip his shirt, holding him back while he feared for the boy to fall into the water.

And then he felt it. The ship started moving and the slowly left the harbour while Sehun kept hanging over the railing and throwing up. Only a few minutes later, Junmyeon was able to coax the trembling boy to pull back, helping him to lay back and covering him with his own jacket. He wasn’t sure if Sehun even noticed what was happening around him, his eyes seeming empty. It probably took all his strength to fight the nausea and Junmyeon wondered if Kwanghoon had sent his son if he knew how seasick he actually was.

After some time, the older sat down on the floor next to Sehun, lifting his head to rest on his lap while stroking through his hair. The younger had dozed off, his breathing finally calmer “Can I help you with something?” Junmyeon looked up to the boy who was probably not much older than 14. A smile spread on his face and he nodded slightly, his hand not once stopping from carding through Sehun’s hair. “Yes, actually you can. Could you maybe bring us some water and another blanket?” The boy nodded quickly and ran off, just to return with the items a few minutes later.

Using the blanket, the older wrapped Sehun in to keep him warm, the wind being merciless out on sea. Then he gently lifted his head and the little sailor held the bottle to the sick man’s lips, letting him drink some water. “Is he your friend?” the boy asked and glanced at Junmyeon curiously. “Yes, my best friend,” the other replied with a smile and lowered Sehun back down, feeling his forehead once more.

After the little helper had been called back to work, Junmyeon spent the next hours with Sehun on deck, watching the captain and sailors, but also other passengers curiously. It was fascinating to see how each member of the crew seemed to know exactly what to do to bring this huge ship to its destination. Some of them seemed happy, as if being on sea was everything they wanted, other’s looked grumpy and some kept staring at the two spitefully.

Sehun didn’t notice any of this, being in a state between unconsciousness and consciousness. Sometimes he suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up, hurrying to the railing and throwing up before falling back into Junmyeon’s arms and sleeping again. During those hours Junmyeon decided, that he would never allow Sehun to go on a ship ever again, once they would return to Korea.

They must have been on the sea for at least five hours now and Junmyeon started to feel his stomach grumble, when he noticed a change in the crew. They were more hectic now and even the ones who had seemed happy before, were now frowning. What was going on? Was there a storm coming closer? But the sky looked bright and blue, not a single cloud in the older’s sight.

It’s probably nothing, he tried to calm himself, but the more minutes passed, the more hectic the crew got. When he saw the boy from earlier run past them, he called for him, waving him over. “What is happening here?” Junmyeon tried to sound calm but his voice sounded higher than usual. “Wokous, sir.” That was all he got on response before the boy disappeared again.

Wokous? The Japanese and Chinese pirates? Junmyeon’s heart was pounding in his chest, glancing down on Sehun who was still asleep. This couldn’t be? Weren’t they all gone? Or most of them? He had heard of two ships being left, but how bad could their luck be to meet one of them on their short trip?

Lifting Sehun up a little, he stood up and rested the younger’s head on his jacket before he went to the captain. The moment he saw the pale face of the old seafarer, he knows that the boy had been right. “I’m sorry sir, but they are too fast for us.” His eyes following the finger that pointed behind the ship, Junmyeon noticed the ship with black sails. It was disturbingly close, and it almost seemed like it came close ever second.

“Another thirty minutes and they will reach us.” The young man couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Thirty minutes? “Can’t you go faster, or can’t we fight them?” Panic clang through in Junmyeon’s voice, his mind wandering to Sehun who was still sleeping on deck. “I’m sorry sir, our ship is too big, it’s made to carry as much goods as possible and not for any races. And… we don’t have any weapons, after the last Wokou trail, we had been informed, that there aren’t any pirates left. Mister Oh sold the weapons, except for a few swords, because he thought it was unnecessary.”

“Fuck!” Junmyeon cried out and the captain stared at him with wide surprised eyes. “Fucking Kwanghoon and his greediness for money… make sure the best fighters have weapons and are ready to fight. I will bring Mister Oh’s son to our cabin. Maybe we are lucky, and they only want money.”

With that Junmyeon turned around and went back to Sehun, picking the boy up and carrying him down the stairs. “Where are we going? I want air,” the younger mumbled when he was placed down on his bed. Smiling sadly, Junmyeon reached out to hold his hand, leaning down to kiss Sehun’s forehead. “It got too cold for you. Just sleep a little longer and we will be in Japan when you wake up.”

It seemed like the older’s calming words were helping and Sehun sunk back into his sleep, his face not seeming as pale anymore as it did before. The next minutes felt like an eternity to Junmyeon, and when he heard a loud thump, he wasn’t sure if thirty minutes or thirty hours had passed.

Feeling the whole ship vibrate, Junmyeon’s grip tightened on Sehun’s hand holding his breath while he tried to hear what was happening. Moments after he could hear people scream, the sound of sword fighting reaching his ears. Every inch of the older’s body was tense while he prayed for it to end, to stop on deck. But while he could still hear people fight on deck, he heard the door to the stairs being pushed open, heavy boots running down the steps before a loud and heavy knock on their door let Junmyeon freeze. He felt helpless while the door opened, everything happening in slow motion, pulling his unconscious best friend into a protective embrace.


	2. Captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junmyeon tries his best to protect Sehun but he has no chance against the pirates.

“Oh… look what we have here!” Junmyeon stared at the man in the door frame, who was calling for someone and waved them towards him. “I think we found us some treasures!” The laugh that left the pirate’s lips sounded dirty and cruel and before Sehun’s friend had any time to react, two men stepped into the cabin and came closer. “What do you think? Are they lovers?”

The men were speaking in Chinese, but thanks to the education Mister Oh had provided Junmyeon, he understood the two pirates. “Don’t come closer!” Anger filled his voice and his arms tightened protectively around Sehun, who was still unconscious. “Oh, I think we found ourselves two Korean boys,” the taller one of the pirates laughed and stepped closer, reaching out to grab Sehun’s chin and tilt his head up to have a better view.

“Don’t touch him!” Before the pirate had any chance to touch the younger boy, Junmyeon kicked out, his shoe hitting right between the man’s legs. The pirate cried out and fell to his knees, pressing his hand against his crotch and cursing in Chinese. “Wei! Are you alright?” The other man was quick to jump to his side, bending down to check on his comrade. Without any second thought, Junmyeon used the opportunity and kicked out a second time, now hitting the temple of the second pirate, who fell to the floor with a grunt and remained motionless.

“Sehun!” Junmyeon knew he had to be quick now, the pirates wouldn’t remain on the floor for long. Jumping off the bed, he picked Sehun up after and hurried to the door, leaving the cabin and shutting the door behind him. For the first time he was thankful for the youngers poor eating habits, the boy weighing almost nothing in his arms and making it easier to run.

Which direction? He couldn’t go on deck, hearing the crew and pirates still fight there. So, the only option was to go deeper down, maybe finding a spot in the storeroom to hide. It took Junmyeon no longer than a second to decide, but this second was still too long. Hearing heavy steps come down the stairs, he turned around and tried to run, but the door behind him opened and the guy named Wei, blocked the only way out.

Pressing Sehun against his chest, he took a step back, only to feel someone behind him. “I wonder… is your will to fight so strong because of him?” The voice was dark and low, sending a shudder through Junmyeon’s body when he slowly turned around and stared up to the giant. “We’ll find out soon enough.” Before he had any chance to reply, the Korean man felt a sharp pain against the back of his head, everything going dark around him while he fell.

“Bring them both on deck and chain them up. We don’t want any other escape.” The man’s eyes were ice cold pure hatred in them, and Wei went pale, bowing quickly and stuttering an apology. “I’m sorry captain… it won’t happen again.”

* * *

Sehun’s head felt heavy and when he tried to swallow, he felt a burn in his throat. What happened? It felt like he was still laying on deck, the sun shinning in his face. Shouldn’t they have arrived in Japan by now? God, this seasickness really knocked him out. Trying to shift a little, he soon gave it up, his whole body aching and something weighing his limps and neck down.

“Kris, I think he is awake.”

“Don’t call me Kris, you know how to address me properly, Tao.” The words sounded harsh but when the man pronounced the other’s name, it had something soft to it.

“I’m sorry, captain,” Tao corrected himself quickly and pointed at Sehun, who shifted slightly on the floor. “He is waking up.”

What was going on? Who were those people, and where was Junmyeon? Why were they speaking Chinese? Wasn’t the captain Korean? Sehun tried to open his eyes, but when the bright sun hit his pupils, he squeezed them shut again quickly.

“Make him sit up.” The words sounded like an order, and before the Korean boy knew what was happening to him, four strong arms gripped him and forced him on his knees. A protesting whine left his lips, but his body was too weak to show any resistance. Soon he was kneeling on the floor, the four hands holding him up before a fifth one took hold of his chin and made him look up.

“Open your eyes.”

When Sehun didn’t show any reaction, Kris reached for the back of his head and gave his hair a sharp tug. The boy’s cry sounded more like a rasping breath, his eyes opening wide.

“There we go… show us your pretty eyes.” The man above him gave him a smug grin before he tilted Sehun’s head from side to side, as if he was inspecting him. “What do you think? How much is he worth?”

“With all respect, captain, but we don’t know if he has a disease. If he does have one, he is worth nothing.”

The captain’s face shifted, an annoyed frown spreading on his features. “That’s true… I’ll go and have a talk with his companion. You keep him up, I want him kneeling and with open eyes when I come back.” With that the pressure on Sehun’s hair disappeared and his head dropped on his chest while heavy steps disappeared.

“Hey! You heard what he said.” One of the hands on his arms let got, sliding under his chin and pressing his head up. “You better keep your eyes open… you wouldn’t like the consequences.” Tao’s voice sounded deep but not as harsh as Kris’s did and something in it almost sounded like he was worried about the boy he was holding up.

“Where am I? Please… I need water.” Sehun’s voice was raspy and quiet, his Chinese broken and every word hurting in his throat. “You don’t get water yet, keep quiet and save your strength.” That was the last thing the men said to the boy before they went quiet, their hold not loosening once.

The first few minutes were endurable, but then Sehun’s knees started to ache and he desperately tried to shift and get some relief. However, each shift caused the grip on him to tighten and press him down on the floor even more. His head tipped forward a few times, the darkness threatening to surround him again, but a few harsh slaps kept him conscious. It felt like torture and no matter how often Sehun begged for them to release him or give him a break, they ignored his pleas as if they couldn’t hear him. It took a while for him to notice the shackles on his neck, ankles and wrists, his whole body feeling numb. This had to be a nightmare, this couldn’t be true, could it?

Only when the boy asked for Junmyeon, he felt one of them tighten their grip on him, as if they felt angered by his question. “You know him? Don’t you? Where is he?”

“Your Chinese is horrible.” One of them noted and gripped Sehun’s chin, forcing him to tilt his head back to look at him. “The captain is questioning that bastard about you right now.”

“The captain was questioning that bastard. Now he is back.” Kris’s voice sounded threatening, the captain coming closer while Sehun watched Wei’s face turn white. “I’m sorry, captain… I didn’t mean to.” Forcing the boy to look forward again, he stuttered an apology, but Kris didn’t seem to be interested in it. Instead he took a glance at their captive’s red cheeks, one of them almost bruising.

“Don’t hit his face. I want it intact…” he growled and Sehun could feel the two men tremble behind him. “Anyways… I asked the other one. This one is healthy; he only suffers from seasickness. As soon as we reach China, he should be a like a new person.” The tall man paused and pulled Sehun’s shirt up to have a glance at his torso, a pleased smirk forming on his lips. “His waist is smaller than most women’s, I am sure we will get a high price for him. We’ll take him, his feisty friend, and two from the crew. All others are worthless. Bring this one on our ship and chain him to the mast. I’ll make sure the other three will be in their cells.”

With that the captain turned around and went back from where he came from, strong arms lifting Sehun up and making him stand on his shaking legs. His Chinese was bad, and he hadn’t understood most of what the men had been talking about. But what he did understand was ‘China’ and that the men were bringing him to the other ship. With each step the forced him to take, he more and more understood what was happening.

“No! Please!” He suddenly cried out in Korean, trashing in their hold as good as his weak body allowed him to. “I can’t! Please, I need to go to Japan.” Panic grew inside Sehun, his eyes wide and breath heavy while he lost hope with each step, he was forced closer to the rail. Soon tears run down his cheeks and the nausea came back, his whole body starting to shake. Before he had any chance to warn the two, he threw the little he had left in his stomach up. Gagging and choking, Sehun was shaking in their hold, scared that he might suffocate. His chest was pounding and no matter how hard he tried to take deep breaths, he couldn’t calm himself down.

The boy started to wheeze, the pressure of the iron collar only adding to the feeling of suffocation while he lost all control over his body. “Force him to breathe through his nose.” Sehun didn’t understand the words but someone pressed a hand against his mouth, making it impossible for him to gasp for air. Trashing in the hold, he tried his best to free himself, but his already weak body had no chance against Tao’s strong arms and the lack of oxygen soon made him go limp. As if this was what the pirate had waited for, he picked Sehun up and carried him over to their ship, closely followed by Wei.

When the two men had finished chaining the boy to the mast, they glanced down on the mess. Sehun’s face was covered in tears and snot, his cheeks red and eyes wide and empty. “He must have a shock. Look how sweaty he is.” Wei pointed at the boy’s hair that was sticking to his forehead.

This time they had granted Sehun a more comfortable position, allowing him to sit and lean against the mast, while his arms were forced back and chained, the collar around his neck attached to a lock that was screwed into the wood. “He is perfect, isn’t he?” Wei took hold of the boy’s chin, tilting his head up to glance into his wide eyes. “The sadists will love his reactions.”

This was the last thing Sehun heard before he blacked out, understanding nothing more than the word ‘love’.

* * *

When the boy opened his eyes again, it was dark, and the stars covered the sky like millions of bright fireflies. Whimpering a little, he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, only to get reminded by the chains that he had lost his freedom.

“Oh, so you decided to wake up?” Sehun flinched, trying to look at the captain, who sounded as if he was right next to his ear. “Don’t struggle too much. The shackles will just rub against your skin and once it is sore it hurts much more.” Something moved besides the young merchant and realised that Kris had sat down next to him, probably glancing at him.

“Please… water.” Sehun’s mouth and throat felt even more dry than they had in the afternoon and the stinging headache reminded him how dehydrated he was. “Water?” Kris chuckled and reached out to press to fingers into Sehun’s mouth. The younger gasped surprised, which the captain used as an opportunity to reach further, one finger pressing down on his tongue while the other reached to the back of his throat. The boy squirmed and gagged, tears forming in his eyes but the collar on his neck made it impossible to turn away.

“Hmm… you indeed feel like you need some water. So dry.” Kris noted and pulled his hand back, now moving into Sehun’s view. “The thing is… you see, water is a treasure on sea. We have to save every drop. You however, you threw everything up you had in your stomach. So, what if I give you water and you throw it up again? Such a waste.” The boy looked at the captain with wide and fearful eyes, not showing any reaction.

“You didn’t understand me… did you?” Kris sighed and lifted the bottle. “I give you water, and you are not allowed to throw up. No matter what, not even a drop leaves your lips, or will be punished.” He spoke in broken Korean now, but the way Sehun’s eyes widened told him he understood.

Lifting the bottle to his lips, he gave him a few sips, the boy drinking greedily before Kris pulled the bottle back, which earned him a whine. “No whining. I decide what is enough.” He hummed and reached out to cup Sehun’s cheek, brushing his thumb over his lips before pushing it. “Well, that feels much more welcoming already.” He boy didn’t understand the Chinese words but the sadistic smile that grew on the captain’s face let his blood freeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. ^^  
> I feel bad for poor Sehunnie though :(


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